Brazil Adopts Indonesia's Rules: The Whole World Changes Drastically

Brazil has begun enforcing restrictions on social media access for minors as part of efforts to protect them from exposure to harmful content on the internet. This policy was officially implemented on Tuesday (17/3/2026), following the approval of a law last year that emerged after a scandal involving alleged child sexual exploitation on the Instagram platform.

According to CNA, the country with a population of around 212 million now joins several other nations that are increasingly tightening regulations on children’s use of social media, particularly regarding the addictive impact of algorithms. Some countries have even imposed full bans on access, such as Australia, while others are strengthening age verification or requiring parental consent, like Indonesia.

In Brazil, the new rules mandate that teenagers up to the age of 16 link their social media accounts to a valid guardian or parental account. Additionally, digital platforms are required to implement reliable age verification mechanisms to prevent users under 18 from accessing prohibited or inappropriate content, including pornography and violence.

Director of Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), Iage Miola, emphasised that the regulation prohibits self-declaration-based age verification methods. “What our law does is prohibit self-declaration as an age verification mechanism, because that method is ineffective,” she stated.

However, the technical details regarding these verification mechanisms have not yet been announced. The government is currently in a transitional period, during which the ANPD will formulate the technical aspects of the regulation’s implementation. Miola revealed that they have met with representatives from technology companies to discuss various implementation proposals.

For the time being, the most feasible method is considered to be users uploading identity documents accompanied by biometric verification via photos. This approach is deemed to provide a higher level of certainty regarding users’ ages.

The law also requires digital platforms to promptly remove content suspected of containing child sexual exploitation or violence and report it to Brazilian authorities. Companies that fail to comply face severe sanctions, ranging from fines of up to 50 million Brazilian reals or approximately US$9 million, account suspensions, to full blocking in cases of repeated violations.

Furthermore, the regulation prohibits advertising practices targeting children and teenagers, as well as “loot box” features in video games, which are paid items that provide random rewards.

Professor from the Getulio Vargas Foundation, Renata Tomaz, assessed that Brazil’s approach has a broader scope than other countries. “Unlike other countries, Brazil has chosen a law that not only regulates social media for children but encompasses the entire internet,” she said.

This step reflects growing global concerns about the negative impacts of the digital ecosystem on children and adolescents, while also marking a new direction for stricter internet regulations in various countries.